New Minerals and Waste Local Plan
Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and Luton Council are working together to prepare a new Minerals and Waste Plan for Bedfordshire.
The plan will help guide where and how minerals are extracted and waste is managed across Bedfordshire up to 2050.
Minerals such as sand, gravel and other materials are needed to support new homes, roads and other infrastructure. At the same time, we need suitable places and facilities to manage the waste produced by homes and businesses.
The new plan will help us balance these needs while protecting communities and the environment. It will:
- identify how much mineral will be needed and where extraction could take place
- consider the facilities and land needed to manage different types of waste in the future
- set policies to help ensure minerals and waste developments are appropriately located and managed
- provide the planning policies that the councils will use when considering future minerals and waste planning applications.
Read the notice of intention to commence plan preparation below.
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Notice of intention to commence minerals and waste plan document preparation - October 2026
Introduction
This document provides notice that we intend to commence preparation of a minerals and waste plan document.
Minerals and waste planning authority
Luton Council has prepared this notice.
Geographical area
The plan will cover the whole of the Luton administrative area (ONS E06000032) and land within the unitary authorities of Bedford and Central Bedfordshire.
View the notice to commence Bedfordshire's Minerals and Waste plan below for a map of the whole of the Bedfordshire authorities the plan will cover.
See a map of the Luton administrative area covered by the Minerals and Waste Local Plan
Title
The plan document will be known as the Bedfordshire Minerals and Waste Plan.
Timetable
See timetable and contact details for involvement in the plan’s production here.
We expect to pass through gateway 1 and begin the 30-month plan preparation process on 31 March 2027.
Scope
The Bedfordshire Minerals and Waste Plan is intended to comprise the entirety of our minerals and waste plan, which means there will be a single document.
Joint plan-making
The plan will be prepared jointly in co-operation with Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire councils. The Bedfordshire Minerals and Waste Plan will become the minerals and waste plan for each of the three authorities.
Agreements to prepare the joint plan were made at Full Council by:
- Bedford Borough Council: 2 July 2025
- Central Bedfordshire Council: 17 July 2025
- Luton Borough Council: 15 July 2025
Date
This notice was published on 5 October 2026. Download a PDF version of the plan:
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How is this different from the Local Plan?
The Minerals and Waste Plan is separate from the councils’ Local Plans. Local Plans look more broadly at where new homes, jobs and other development should go, alongside the infrastructure needed to support them. The Minerals and Waste Plan specifically focuses on where minerals could be extracted and how waste should be managed.
Have your say
We are at an early stage of preparing the new plan and will shortly be asking residents, businesses, community groups and other organisations to help shape it.
Our first consultation is a scoping consultation, running from 12 October to 27 November 2026. This will be an opportunity to tell us what issues you think the new plan should consider and what is important to you as we plan for minerals and waste needs across Bedfordshire up to 2050.
At this stage, no decisions have been made about specific sites. The feedback we receive will help inform the next stages of the plan.
Central Bedfordshire Council is managing the work on behalf of the three authorities. Go to their website for all the information. This includes a timetable and notice of consultation. Tell us your views by clicking the Central Bedfordshire consultation button below.
We will be using the following deposit points in Luton, where you can inspect notices and supporting documents during plan preparation stages.
- Main Town Hall reception, George Street, Luton, LU1 2BQ:
- Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 9am to 5pm
- Weds: 10am to 5pm
- Central Library St George’s Square, Luton, LU1 2NG:
- Mon: 9am to 7pm
- Tues, Weds, Thurs, Fri: 9am to 6pm
- Sat: 9.30am to 5pm
- Sun: 11am to 5pm
- Leagrave Library, 124 Marsh Road, Luton, LU3 2NL:
- Mon: 9am to 7pm
- Tues, Weds, Thurs, Fri: 9am to 6pm
- Sat: 9.30am to 5pm
- Stopsley Library, 592 to 596 Hitchin Road, Luton, LU2 7UG:
- Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 9am to 5pm
- Weds: 1 to 6pm
- Sat: 9.30am to 1pm
- Marsh Farm Library, Lea Manor School, Northwell Drive, Luton LU3 3TL:
- Mon, Tues: Closed
- Weds: 1 to 6pm
- Thurs: 9am to 6pm
- Fri: 1 to 6pm
- Sat: 9.30am to 1pm
See the plan for the Minerals and Waste Local Plan